[Baked Potato]

This is my first visit to this site = hello all and happy growing.  Having worked a 16 hour night shift, slept for 6 hours and driven to my parents for sunday dinner to drive to work and start again, I was told by my father that my allotment sheds had been burnt down during the night!  I was devastated.  On looking at the damage one shed has completely burnt down, the other is extremely poorly!  All 10 water butts have melted, 3 compost bins, all the tools and fertilizers, half the glass in the greenhouse shattered with the heat.  Then there's all the other things like tubing for cloches, fleece, bamboo sticks, watering cans, reference books, my tool cleaning rag!  Anyway, what's done is done.  What I could do with is any contacts or advice on how to go about starting again but a little bit more cheaply.  Does anyone know how to get hold of large plastic water butts, old external doors (to build my new shed out of), corrogated metal sheeting etc.  Any advice would be most helpful.    I've even had to buy new seed potatoes today because the ones chitting are now baked!   

[GrannieAnnie]

Oh Baked Potato, I am so sorry to hear of your woes!  there are some right B's around no doubt about it!  I can't help you with everything, but a good place for old wooden doors, sometimes pallets for the compost bins etc is a local (if you've got one!) double glazing manufacturer. 

I clean at our local one and we've had so much old wood, doors, windows, pallets, you name it.  They are only too pleased at times to give stuff away, as they pay for their skips by the weight of what's inside, and of course, wood is heavy!!

Also, put in your profile your approximate location, so people nearer to you can help.  Good luck and don't let the vandals beat you!!!!

[hindy]

Hi Baked Potato
I had the same happen to me last year. Shed burnt down with everything inside, including my rotovator, heat was so intense that it melted the engine, and of course everything else in there.
I had put my greenhouse frame up a few days before and left all the glass in the shed for putting in the following weekend, so all that was no good either.

If you have home contents insurance check with them to see if you can claim. There is a clause whereby if you have items that are normally at home but are away from the home on a temp basis they will pay up.
I paid around £130 for the second hand rotovator that got burnt, but the insurance company was new for old so got a brand spanking new one from them worth over £600 

[Baked Potato]

Thank you,  thats a brilliant idea.  Ill get on to that tomorrow.

I share my plot with a friend and we've just had it a year, so this is a blow.  But we won't be broken and my friend is planning a jacuzzi! I suggested a sauna as we could use the water butts (when we replace them) as plunge pools.    Got to keep smiling.

[Lady Lottie]

What a nightmare - how awful for you.  I hope whoever did it develops an incurable and particularly nasty, itchy rash in a VERY sensitive area!!  

I have seen lots of people on this forum mention freecycle, you could try that, or what about eBay?  We got a lovely little garden shed (about 7x5 foot) for £100 (brand new too) - we just collected it locally.  I know that's not exactly super cheap but it was really good value - people might be auctioning tools too - might be worth a look?

Do you receive a free newspaper in your area?  How about contacting them with your story, see if they are interested in doing an article and generate some local interest and ask if they can put a "any help or unwanted items you have to donate welcome" type of request in it?

Best of luck anyway Baked Potato.

[hindy]

Love the idea of the Sauna 

I have replaced my sheds now but still miss my old one 

[Celery]

Hi Sorry to here about your loss they all talk about freecycle, I am not member myself but I have here of people getting sheds and tools on this site.I have heard of one allotment holder getting a shed and some slabs
                                                           Celery                                                                                      

[Baked Potato]

I've just registered tonight with freecycle awaiting my password or something (not very good with these things!).

I'm a bit scared of ebay but I could give it a go?  Thank you for your kind words.

If we fit a sauna and find out who's responsible, we could lock them in, wait until they;ve shrunk and then stamp on them (or is this sounding a bit too wicked)?

[Lady Lottie]

I've just registered tonight with freecycle awaiting my password or something (not very good with these things!).

I'm a bit scared of ebay but I could give it a go?  Thank you for your kind words.

If we fit a sauna and find out who's responsible, we could lock them in, wait until they;ve shrunk and then stamp on them (or is this sounding a bit too wicked)?

lol..sounds like a PLAN to me!!  And after you've stamped on them - throw them on the compost heap - they should feel right at home there with all the rest of the muck. (polite word)


Don't be scared of eBay!  Just exercise the same common sense I'm sure you would apply anywhere else and use the "help" pages.  Honestly its fine - we've only had one or two little hiccups but both times sorted them through PayPal and have never been out of pocket and had more than one great bargain - not necessarily gardening stuff but bargains nevertheless.  Orrrrr....have you got a friend who is familiar with eBay who could buy stuff for you if you saw anything of interest?  Just a thought.  Otherwise I say go for it!

[Celery]

Have you tried looking on Gumtree.com its a local sales site.
                                                                                             Celery

[sunshineband]

Hi there Baked Potato

Felt so sorry for you when I heard how bad things were for you. Top marks for your determination not to let the B******s get you down. They deserve worse than shrining in a sauna, trust me!

Loads of pallets for the taking round most industrial estates, and lots of advice about how to make some outstanding sheds etc out of them too.

Thinking of you. All the best 

[noshed]

Pallets - try plumbers' warehouses, they have big ones. Beg at B&Q, it's surprising what you can get if you're in the right place at the right time. You might get some seeds off the swap bit of this forum.
Good luck anyway

[Trillium]

I can't suggest any sources other than ones already mention, but I do feel badly for your vandalism. What is with all these wretched little toerags who have to destroy things? Hope it all works out for you baked potato, and hindy.

[hindy]

I can't suggest any sources other than ones already mention, but I do feel badly for your vandalism. What is with all these wretched little toerags who have to destroy things? Hope it all works out for you baked potato, and hindy.

The toerags cerataily put a downer on things at the time Trillium but everything is back to normal now.
All the best Baked Potato don't let the stop what you enjoy.
And give the insurance company a try, worked for me

[Baked Potato]

Thank you all very much for your support and helpful ideas.  I have the weekend off and plan to spend it trawling for pallets, blue butts, doors etc.

It's nice to know people understand and care!  Thank you all again.

Happy growing